Lenovo extended its leadership in worldwide PC shipments in the second quarter, outpacing a market that appears to have ended a two-year slump, according to two new reports.

Worldwide PC shipments by Lenovo, which last year moved past HP to become the undisputed No. 1 in the worldwide PC market, rose 15.1 percent in the first quarter, according to market research firm Gartner. That compares to 9.3 percent growth for No. 2 HP and 12.5 percent growth for No. 3 Dell.

Lenovo is based in China but has a headquarters in Morrisville that employs about 2,200 workers. Lenovo's local presence is expected to double when it completes its pending $2.3 billion acquisition of IBM's low-end, x86 server business.

Overall, worldwide PC shipments were essentially flat in the quarter — up a scant one-tenth of a percent, according to Gartner. But that contrasts with a declined in PC shipments over the prior eight quarters as many customers turned to tablets and smartphones.

Gartner said it expects to see “slow, but consistent, PC growth” going forward.

In the U.S. the picture was even better, with PC shipments rising 7.4 percent in the quarter, Gartner reported.

Lenovo’s U.S. PC shipments jumped 20.3 percent in the quarter — more than any of its major competitors, according to Gartner. Overall, it ranks third in the U.S. market.

Market research firm IDC painted a similar overall picture of the PC market, but details varied.

IDC reported that second-quarter PC shipments fell 1.7 percent worldwide, the lowest decrease in two years.

IDC estimated Lenovo’s worldwide market share at 19.6 percent and also reported that the company’s shipments rose 15.1 percent in the quarter, more than any of its major competitors.

Lenovo’s U.S. shipments rose 24.7 percent, according to IDC, which also ranked Lenovo third in the U.S. market.